Review by Marc Hays
I am not familiar with how many books like this may exist. I am sure that personalities such as C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien have attracted many a biographer and beauties such as Oxford have inspired many a photographer, but this book accomplishes both with stunning success. It is as much a coffee table picture book as it is a sweeping biography of “Lewis, Tolkien and Their Friends” as the subtitle reads. I don’t know if I’ll ever make it to Oxford. The photos in this volume make one want to travel there today, but if I never get to go in person, I will always be thankful for the journey I was able to make through the pages of this beautiful book.
As for the prose, this book is history, biography, geography, literary analysis, and a little bit of philosophical meandering to boot. It is a pleasant read. Never dull. There are fewer words than you might expect, as the pages are filled with gorgeous photography, but perhaps more is said here than has been said with a far greater number of words elsewhere. The book costs about $20 on Amazon which is not cheap, but not expensive either. If you are a Lewis or Tolkien fan, you will not regret the purchase. If you are not a fan yet, you would do well to be, and this sweeping overview of “the Inklings of Oxford” is a great place to start. (Actually you should start by reading their books, but after a few of those…once you’re hooked, check out this book.)
Order it here.<>
